Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines from updated state rankings

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

With Rivals.com’s rankings release week winding down, we turn an eye to the state rankings. Below, Southeast recruiting analyst Chad Simmons takes a look at four major 2020 state rankings storylines.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:

Monday: Updated Top 10 revealed

Tuesday: Updated 2020 Rivals100

Wednesday: Updated 2020 Rivals250

Thursday: Updated position rankings

If you want athletes with speed, go spend some time in the Sunshine State. Florida may not be known for producing elite quarterbacks on a regular basis, but it does have a reputation for producing top-notch athletes. The 2020 class keeps that trend alive.

You have to get down to No. 8 in the Florida state rankings before you find a prospect that puts his hand in the dirt. Cornerback Fred Davis is the lone five-star in the state at this time, so he is leading the way. Then you have a couple of wide receivers, running backs and defensive backs on the list.

Out of the top 15 prospects in Florida, there is only one linebacker (Derek Wingo) and one defensive end (Samuel Anaele). All the rest are defensive backs, running backs and wide receivers.

There is always a lot of speed in Florida, and in this class, there may be more of that at the top than usual.

Out of the top 18 prospects in Alabama, 10 are currently committed. That number could be as high as 11, but the No. 1 prospect in the state, Kristian Story, backed off his pledge to Tennessee in the fall.

Out of the 10 committed, six are committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide. It is a good blend. Defensive tackle Jayson Jones, cornerback Malachi Moore, wide receiver Dazalin Worsham, running back Roydell Williams, linebacker Jackson Bratton and versatile lineman Jah-Marien Latham committed to Nick Saban well over a year in advance.

Auburn has a couple of early in-state commits as well with linebackers Demouy Kennedy and Quandarrius Robinson.

Then you have athlete Kris Draine committed to LSU and quarterback Logan Smothers committed to Nebraska.

The state of Texas has not produced many five-star running backs in recent years, but it has a special prospect inside its borders in 2020.

Zachary Evans of North Shore in Houston is not only a five-star, but the No. 2 prospect in the country. He was in the top prospect discussion this update. He is different.

Evans has a long list of offers from programs like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and many others. Simply put — Evans can go where he wants.

As a running back, Evans checks every box, and he will be tough to knock off at the top by any other prospect in the Lone Star State this cycle. Evans has the size, speed, power, hands, vision and everything that colleges covet at that position.

There is no other way to describe the 2020 class in California other than saying it is loaded.

The No. 1 2020 prospect in the state and the country is quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei. Linebacker Justin Flowe checks in at No. 3 in the country and second in California. Elias Ricks, a 6-foot-3 cornerback is in at No. 4 in the country, third in California. Running back Kendall Milton comes in at No 12 nationally, while wide receiver Johnny Wilson is still a five-star at No. 22.

This is some of the best talent at the top that California has produced in a long time. In the updated Rivals100, nearly a fifth of the listed prospects (18) are from the state of California.

Digging a little deeper, when looking at the Rivals250, there are 27 prospects from the state. The depth of the state is nothing new, but the talent at the top looks to be on a different level. California has three of the top four prospects in the country, and another who is being talked about as a possible top-10 prospect.

This will be a fun group to track over the next year.